Virgil Goode Denies Involvement with Eden's Curve

Not surprisingly, Congressman Virgil Goode quickly denied any involvement witht the gay themed movie, Eden's Curve, written and produced by Jerry Meadors, the artistic director of the North Theater in Danville, which received a $150,000 earmark from the federal budget due to Goode's efforts. Meadows went to great lengths to explain why Goode and his wife, Lucy, are thanked in the closing credits of Eden’s Curve. Of course, even if Goode had no involvement with the movie, many of the Neanderthals in his district will be none too happy now that they know that Goode has a gay Press Secretary who had a part in the gay theme movie. Goode's district includes progressive areas like Charlottesville, but also some of Virginia's most reactionary and backwards areas as well with many Bible beating fundamentalists. Here are some highlights from Charlottesville's Daily Progress:

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U.S. Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr., R-Rocky Mount, said on Wednesday that he had nothing to do with a 2003 art house film that depicts gay sex, violent beatings and drug use. “I never gave any money to that film. Wouldn’t do it,” Goode said. “Haven’t even seen it. Wouldn’t see it.”

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In a bizarre twist to Goode’s re-election bid against challenger Democrat Tom Perriello, news rocketed across Virginia’s blogosphere on Wednesday that Goode and his wife, Lucy, are thanked in the closing credits of “Eden’s Curve,” a gay coming-of-age film that was inspired by a true story that occurred in Danville during the 1970s.

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The film is about a young man who goes off to an all-male college and begins to explore his sexuality, eventually engaging in a ménage a trois with his roommate and his roommate’s girlfriend. Afterward, the roommate becomes jealous and savagely beats the protagonist. A poetry professor takes in the injured main character and they begin a sexual relationship of their own. Once their affair is made public, however, the student leaves school and the professor commits suicide.

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Revelations about “Eden’s Curve” emerged at a Wednesday morning press conference convened by liberal blogger and activist Mike Stark. Stark, a student at the University of Virginia School of Law, is best known for getting tackled by several George Allen supporters in a video filmed at the Omni Charlottesville Hotel in 2006.

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Stark said he was tipped off about the film’s connections to Goode because Stark is a nationally known antagonist of conservative Republicans. “Eden’s Curve” is relevant to Goode’s re-election campaign, Stark said, because Goode is a vocal opponent of same-sex mar-riage.“When you stick to the facts, there’s a question of hypocrisy,” Stark said. “Virgil Goode sets forth this vision of family values that excludes, in a vituperative way, homosexuals. … There’s enough smoke here. And there’s certainly the fire of hypocrisy.”

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In 2003, Goode secured a $150,000 federal economic development earmark to help businessman Roy Gignac finance a $3.5 million restoration of the North Theater in Danville. Meadors is the artistic managing director of the theater.

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Goode added that he was unaware of the subject matter of “Eden’s Curve.” He only knew, he said, that Duncan had a role in “some film.” A spokeswoman of Perriello, Goode’s opponent in the Nov. 4 election, declined to comment. “We just learned about this,” spokeswoman Jessica Barba said. “We’re still trying to process the details. We’re not going to comment on this right now.”